Welcome to Elevated Cruising . . .

Premium lines tend to feel a bit more adult and upscale, where the focus is more on the vacation experience than the actives with more immersive destination excursion options, longer port times more onboard space and refined service. Food and drink options offer a higher quality – more with fewer extra charges added to your folio. Think of a premium 4 star resort in the best location. Although they can skew adult, they can be good options for couples, groups or multi-generational travel but each brand has its own feel and vibe.

Virgin Voyages

Welcome to the new Virgin Voyages – a new cruise line sprung forth from the imagination of Richard Branson, built from the ground up with the purpose of disrupting the traditional cruise industry.  He succeeded.

What makes Virgin Voyages Different?

• Adults Only
• A true commitment to the environment; they have brilliantly done away with single use plastics
• Kind, fair booking policies
• Focus on an all-inclusive experience save the alcohol
• Experimental food options without your typical buffet
• Authentic excursions, ethical excursions anchored in using business to do good

Virgin Voyages was designed to fill the gap between expensive and formal experiences and cheap and cheerful mass market experiences.

While adults only may sound self-explanatory it is woven into the entertainment that is risqué and bold, the inclusion of a full bar in every restaurant, and late night and overnight stays not found on typical cruise lines. Let’s not forget a ship that was built to be instagrammable around every corner.

Virgin Voyages encompasses Branson’s desire to change business for good, but also to change the world for the better is encapsulated in Virgin Voyages Epic Sea Change For All  – meaning that across the board from Sailors (Guests), Ocean, Communities, Crew, and Partners they choose to do better . This vision guides all that they do. No more plastic water bottles, instead they have water bottle filling stations set up through out the ship, along with water in cardboard containers if you wish.  Reusable beverage cups, cloth napkins even the cleaning supplies used by the crew are reusable cloth.  They are carbon neutral for direct emissions through the purchase of carbon offsets –– making Virgin Voyages the very first cruise line to commit to this initiative from our first moments at sea.  The ships engines transfers  heat into clean energy, and purify wastewater so that it’s even clean enough to drink.

Booking Policy

• Deposits are 20%Full Refund if you wish within 7 days of booking

• Final Payment 45 days prior to sailing

• Sailors may change their voyage date up until 45 days prior to the sailing, and the new voyage date can be up to 1 year from the original sailing start date.

If you find an emergency has you needing to cancel your cruise – what to do?  45 days or less from the sailing date Guest may change the name on, or transfer, the reservation up to 48 hours of the departure of the Cruise.  NOW THAT IS A POLICY DESIGNED TO CHANGE THE CRUISE INDUSTRY.

For a limited time, bookings made on or before December 15, 2021, for sailings through May 2, 2022, are able to take advantage of our flexible booking policy — which allows for cancellations up to 15 days before the voyage date to receive 100% Future Voyage Credit.

Although not official policy, when my voyage on Valiant Lady, their new ship, now expected in April 2022 was cancelled, they offered me a full refund or twice the amount in credit.  Of course I took double my money – I think I have a sailing in a Rock Star Suite in my future!

Bar tab is an onboard credit for Sailors to use on any of and all beverages not already included in the voyage fare. Bar tab gets your Sailors (and their friends) what they want, where and when they want it, including non-alcoholic options like specialty coffees, pressed juices and smoothies.

Sailors can purchase a bar tab pre-voyage, and it pays to prepay; we’ll top off your Sailor with an extra $50 on their $300 pre-purchased Bar tab.

Sailors who voyage with us in 2021 are experiencing the beginning of something incredibly special and will be part of a once-in-a-lifetime group: the Sea-Blazers.

An extra $125 when they purchase a $300 pre-paid bar tab — FOR LIFE!

$300 off their next sailing in 2022, no matter what offers it’s combined with and an exclusive, limited-run welcome gift — just for Sea-Blazers.

Scarlet Lady has more than 20 distinctive and delicious specialty eateries designed to bring fresh ingredients and made to order cooking together to crush any craving. Virgin Voyages has taken away the traditional buffet and morphed it into a quasi-self serve, fresh to your table concept in The Galley.  You still find an area similar to buffets grouped together with different themes: All American Dinner (oh MY try the French toast hamburger for breakfast), a breakfast Bento Box of fresh fruit, or salad bar to a Panini Station, however your food is either ordered to be cooked at the counter or cheerful waitstaff take your order and deliver it to you like a typical restaurant.

Of course she also comes equipped with high-end specialty restaurants that are all-included.

Imagine walking on this 3 foot wide adrenaline-pumping pathway, pinned to one side of a deep gorge more than 300 feet above the river below.  Originally built connect to hydraulic plants in El charro a beautiful part of Malaga province it is one of the many unique opportunities you can explore The Virgin Way in El Caminito del Rey ass you can set out on this stunning walkway for a three and a half hour excursion that’s literally carved into a rocky face soaring heavenward and plunging hundreds of feet below crystalline waters shinning in the sunlight.

Did we mention the night life?  From Scarlet night when the ship and all sailors transform red to a walls of records setting the stage for the ship’s resident DJ to performances to their nightclub’s thumbing into the late night hours, Scarlet Lady is designed for dancing and a non-stop party.

After the sun sets, The Manor — a two-story space named after Branson’s first recording studio — turns into a nightclub where merrymakers can groove to loud bass-driven futuristic sounds. The glittering mirrored entryway designed to stop and take one more photo.

Also it is important to note is that at this time all sailings are 100% vaccinated passengers and crew, and even closed loop cruises sailing from a US port require a passport.

Want to know more?  #AskMe  That is my job -giving you the best information so you can plan the best vacation of your life, until the next one.

Why book your cruise with Midwest Travel Solutions?

Knowledge – In addition to extensive training with all the major lines, I have sailed with all the major lines and can help you with differences that are important to you.

Cost– A common myth is that using a travel agent will cost you more than booking it yourself.  In reality, the opposite is actually true.  Midwest Travel Solutions, your local Kansas City Agency is affiliated with M travel a Virtuoso Agency giving you hundreds of groups on various cruises, a rates not available to the general public plus added amenities.

Service– Higher Level of Service & Use of Technology-You never have to wait on hold, ever.  You may have to leave a message, but we will get back with you timely, always.  Our clients travel with more than just a digital copy of travel documents, but we also have specialized software that weave your whole trip in one neat easy to access place including cruise, flights, pre-cruise hotels and excursions.

Shop Local – You are supporting a local Kansas City area business that is part of, and gives back to the local community.